DETROIT ? Billionaire Dan Gilbert to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson: ?Get your facts correct.?
Gilbert was called out on Wednesday by Patterson who launched a new Oakland County technology networking group called Tech248. The number 248 is the area code for Oakland County. Patterson, speaking to an audience of more than 100 techies assembled at Koala CoWork at Arbor Lofts in Southfield, said ?I’ll fight to keep you here in Oakland County.”
Then, taking a shot at Gilbert who has been recruiting hundreds of entrepreneurs to buildings he has purchased in downtown Detroit, Patterson added, “Are you listening Dan?” evoking laughter from the audience, which included some of his Oakland County staff.
What appeared to rankle Patterson was the announcement by Fifth Third Bank that it would move its regional headquarters from Southfield to Gilbert’s One Woodward Building, the Yamasaki-designed skyscraper at West Jefferson, built to hold the headquarters of the former Michigan Consolidated Gas utility, which is now part of DTE Energy.
“I would be more impressed with Mr. Gilbert’s efforts if he were to bring in high-tech companies from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois rather than looking through the fertile vineyards of Oakland County,” Patterson said.
On Thursday, Gilbert responded in a statement emailed to MITechNews.Com.
?I would actually be ?more impressed? if Brooks had gotten his facts correct,? Gilbert said. ?Of the more than 120 technology companies that have opened shop in Southeast Michigan?s leading high-tech corridor along Woodward in Downtown Detroit, more than 100 of them were launched right in the heart of the region?s urban core.
?However, we did recently ?woo? a large financial institution?s regional HQ from the ?fertile vineyards of Oakland County,? ? Gilbert said. ?In all seriousness, it would be much more productive if we could all work together to grow the region and state, leaving the divisive politics of the past in the past where they belong. Are you listening, Brooks??
